Beacon



March 19, 1929. w D 1,706,091

BEACON Filed Feb. 11, 1927 Inventor: Kurt Wiegcmd, by %@A#% His Attowneg.

Patented Mar. 19, 1929.

UNITED STATES.

PATENT OFFICE.

KURT WIEGAND, OF BERLIN, GERMANY, ASSIGNOR T0 GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY,

' A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

BEACON.

Application filed Februaiy 11, 1927, Serial No. 167,553, and in Germany March 3, 1926.

My invention relates to beacons. More particularly it relates to beacons of a type adapted especially for use in connection with aeroplane ports.

For signal lights for sea and airship service there have been provided hitherto principally electric arc lamps or incandescent lamps, the light rays of which are brought together by a reflector and thrown in a determined, chosen direction. \Vhen it is desired to produce a colored beam, colored filters are placed in front the source. This, however, greatly reduces the light intensity of the signal.

One of the objects of my invention is to produce a beacon (white or colored) without the use of reflectors or filters. It is an object of my invention to produce a beacon consisting of a large bundle of elongated tubes, the diameter of any one of the tubes being much smaller than the cross section of the bundle. It is also an object to provide a beacon of the above character resembling a glowing block and which therefore radiates light uniformly or substantially so on all sides. For this purpose there is used in accordance with the invention a bundle of elongated electric light tubes placed beside one another. By properly selecting the gas filling of the tubes there is produced a colored or a whitelight. By the new bundle-like arrangement of the tubes I obtain, as a result, a multi superposition of the tubes when viewed from the different directions, which arrangement produces a very strong and effective beacon light. Since the beacon is visible as well from the top as from the sides, it is especially well adapted for guiding aeroplanes.

There are advantageously used in the c011- struction of the new beacon U-shaped light ing tubes placed parallel and next to one another, the legs being connected in serpentine fashion as shown in Fig. 2. By this arrangement I provide many tube sections in parallel having but few electrodes which not only simplifies and cheapens the manufacture but at the same time makes the exchange of tube units an easy matter inasmuch as the electrodes may all be mounted on the same side as, for example, along the bottom of the beacon as indicated in Figs. 1, 2, and 3.

In the drawing are shown two forms of beacons made in accordance with the invention.

tively of two modifications of the invention.

The beacon represented in Fig. 1 possesses a box shaped base a which is supported upon legs I). Outhe base there are arranged two sets of electric. light tubes 0 and 0 which tubes are filled with neon, if a red signal is desired; if a white light, nitrogen may be used. The tubes as viewed from the top, Fig. 3, have a U-shaped appearance, while as viewed in Fig. 2 the tubes have a serpentine appearance. Therefore, the beacon presents the appearance of a large number of closely adjoining and parallel tube strands. As all of the tubes on the platform a uniformly radiate light and as the separate tube parts overlap one another as a result of the bundlelike arrangement, a specially effective and large signalling beacon of great intensity and clearly visible at a great distance is the result.

The electrodes (Z and d of the lighting tube elements of the beacon are all located within the base a which base may also serve as a receptacle for the necessary transformer apparatus. It will be seen that with the particular arrangement illustrated electrodes (Z are located on one side of the base while the electrodes (Z are located on the opposite side of the base. This arrangement makes the removal of a damaged tube unit a comparatively easy matter.

The form of beacon shown in Figs. 2 and 3 is essentially the same as that shown in Fig. 1 except that the lighting tubes 0 and c, as seen from the top, are arranged at angles, other than right angles, to the outer edge of the base a. \Vith this arrangement the overlapping of the light tubes is very effective since no matter what the position of the observer may be, the beacon appears as a solid or substantially solid source of light. Each tube, 0 and 0, can as indicated he in series with. a separate transformer such as the transformers e and 6, but it is also possible to operate several tubes with a single transformer.

The form of beacon shown in Figs. 4 and 5 has a bundle of li hting tubes 0 which run from a common at edgewise placed supporting plate a. The legs of the U-shaped and separately exchangeable tubes are in this case formed in a straight line. All lighting tubes are so set relative to one another that when the beacon is connected up it presents an approximately cylindrical form. As the separate tubes in this form of construction are essentially shorter than those of the two other forms, it.- is advantageous to connect several tubes to a common transformer.

The number, form and attachment of the bundle-shaped lighting tubes set adjoining to one another can be an arbitrary one. The transformers required for the operation need not be necessarily located in the case shaped base. The separate tubes can also be supported relative to one another by unobtrusive small metal clamps, if desired also by the supporting plate a.

It will be understood that while I have elected to illustrate my invention in connection with the specific forms of device shown and described, I do not wish to be limited to such forms inasmuch as, in view of the disclosure, other -forms will readily suggest themselves which fall within the spirit of the invention and Within the scope of the claims contained herein.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. A beacon comprising elongated electric light tubes formed in convolutions arranged along planes parallel to each other, and a base for supporting the tubes, said base being transverse the said planes, all of said tubes being secured to said base and located on one side thereof.

2. A beacon comprising elongated electric light tubes formed in convolntions arranged along parallel planes said tubes consisting of a number of elongated units each having convolutions arranged in planes parallel to each other and assembled in close formation, each of the convolutions arranged in the form of a four-sided figure, one side of each of said figures being located in a common plane and a single support for all of said tubes located to one side of said last mentioned plane.

3. A beacon comprising elongated electric light tubes formed in convolutions arranged along a group of planes parallel to each other and along a second group of planes parallel to each other and transverse the first group of planes.

In witness whereof, I have hereunto set my handthis 25th day of January, 1927.

. KURT WIEGAND. 

